The Mayor of San Pedro Town, Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez, is facing a lawsuit over accusations that he demanded personal payment from a local business owner seeking approval for construction permits. Mayor Nuñez has denied these accusations and is currently discussing the matter with his attorney as the case is scheduled to be heard in the High Court in Belize City.
On Monday, November 18th, Mayor Nuñez issued a statement on his Facebook page addressing the main claimant, Brittney O’Daniel, and the second claimant, Corner Lot Limited. “We are a free country, and all persons have a right to make allegations, no matter how outlandish. I have secured legal representation to address the claims, and I am certain that I will be vindicated by due process,” he said in the statement.
The statement emphasized the Mayor’s commitment to San Pedro and his intention to lead responsibly. “I understand very well the distinction between personal matters, business ventures, and the mandate of mayorship. This lawsuit seems to confuse the public about a dock situation between neighbors with claims that are not within my purview as Mayor.”
He wished the claimants great success with their business ventures and encouraged them to continue addressing all their development needs with the appropriate regulatory agencies. This pertains to additional accusations in the lawsuit stating that the San Pedro Town Council’s (SPTC) Building Unit charged the first claimant BZ$900 to allow a crane on the island. The first claimant asserted that during the process of obtaining the construction permit, Nuñez had verbally approved the foundation works to proceed. Ultimately, the Central Building Authority (CBA) reportedly approved the construction on a parcel owned by the second claimant, of which the first claimant is a shareholder. However, the first claimant claimed in the lawsuit that in order to obtain approval for the construction project, the Mayor required a personal payment of BZ$36,800 from her to facilitate the construction permit. The first claimant stated that she paid the money.
The Mayor stated that the BZ$900 payment was for stop orders issued due to the construction project not complying with the approved plans. On Monday, the San Pedro Building Unit released a statement indicating that they, along with the CBA, are working closely with the project principals to ensure that the construction adheres to the approved plans.
Another dispute involves a pier. O’Daniel claims she was asked to move the pier in front of her hostel to make way for the Mayor’s pier. In her lawsuit, she alleges that the Mayor, acting in bad faith, obtained an order for the removal of a portion of the dock, rendering it inoperable and causing her business losses. The Mayor clarified that it was not SPTC employees who removed some planks from the dock, as O’Daniel claimed. Nuñez stated that the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the letter for the removal of the pier, and this matter is unrelated to the SPTC.
Despite her claims that town council employees were responsible for the work, the mayor indicated that the Ministry of Natural Resources had sent a letter instructing the removal of the pier. “That has nothing to do with me or the SPTC,” said Nunez. Although he did not share this letter with The Sun, the mayor reportedly provided it to a mainland media outlet, 7 News, which noted that the letter was dated in September, a few weeks after a portion of the pier had already been dismantled.
The mayor refrained from making any further comments on the matter, as he is currently consulting with his attorney ahead of the upcoming case in the High Court.
